Ashes to Ashes
by Closet Lethargy
Summary: Present day or past, it doesn't matter - pain is still pain. Frozen in time with his consciousness fading and anger ripping him apart from the inside out, Prince Kaito, the Vampire leader of a kingdom long gone, must find a way to restore his home, break a curse, and not lose himself to the tides of his wrath in the process. But what if true love's kiss isn't enough anymore?
1. Chapter 1: And Dust to Dust

Ashes to Ashes

CHAPTER 1: AND DUST TO DUST

AN: Dun. Duh duh dun. Duhn duhn duuuuun. Here, please accept the new story nobody asked for as a peace offering! (Please don't kill me?) So, yeah. I hit the dreaded writer's block and I am now stuck in an endless loop of wanting to just publish more and more stories until I go back and get inspiration for another chapter. I'm really sorry! So, this one is based off the popular Kaito song Ashes to Ashes, if that wasn't obvious, and there is major angst starting off, so be warned! Also, there's a small part involving threats and beating a wall to death, in case you'd rather not read that violent junk. Now that I (think) I've covered everything, please enjoy this story that sprouted from the darker corners of my writer's brain!

Disclaimer: Ashes to Ashes belongs to its respective owner(s) as do Kaito and the other Vocaloids. I only own this dark and twisted concoction of gibberish...

\\(' - ' )/

 _Hai wa hai ni… chiri wa chiri ni…_

The dark has become a friend, the night an ally. When shadows chase my lone form, moving under the moonlight, they become safe, a sweet comfort. Sometimes, however, just like the ever changing human will, even my safe haven becomes a boiling volcano ready to burst. My heart ached, not without reason, as the footsteps below approached. I had yet to identify why my chest hurt so whenever a human drew near, but I could not care less, especially when the men who screamed their curses and shouted their demeaning ramblings arrived, again, on my front porch. This was - what, the third visit this week? And from the same village, no less?

"Honestly, why tonight? Don't they have a care for the blizzard on the way?" I sighed, quirking one eyebrow upwards. I had heard it was a sign of sarcastic annoyance, and it quickly became a beloved habit of mine. I was often annoyed and sarcastic. Or so I've heard. The pounding intensified, fog rolling away like the traitor it was. How these stupid humans had found my castle, I had no idea, and I didn't care. Vampire hunts have become increasingly more popular, and whereas before I had free roam of the night, I risked being discovered should I venture out, and thus I was confined, chained indoors, careful to not leave my own home for weeks at a time. They'd never found me before as of twelve years ago, and I was quite skilled at hiding my home beneath the fog, but now that the winter winds had started arriving more frequently, it was difficult to manipulate it as I typically do during the humid summertime.

Several men were screaming at me from where they rammed my door five floors down, but I couldn't hear them from behind the safety of the thick stained glass I leaned against. I couldn't care less why they were here, what they were said to me, but they were disturbing my time of solitude with their insufferable banging against the door. I wasn't worried that they would break in, since my castle was heavily protected with a spell of my own design, but they certainly were annoying. It was difficult to practice my violin when the ramming booms kept throwing me off with their inconsistent beats. Finally, I'd had enough.

I pushed open the windows I was watching out of, instantly drawing their attention. The screaming died down to indecisive muttering. That usually meant they were ready to back down, as they, I'm sure, have never seen my face before now, but I didn't care either way. I drew in a deep breath and let my voice drift down to them in a song; it was an enchanted melody, and would send them away with no memory of where they had gone within the past three hours.

 _"Mu ~ ge ~ n, ka ~ga ~ mi, me ~ gu ~ ru,"_ I sang, glaring them down. Though it had been quite some time since I'd seen myself in a mirror, I had been told that my blue eyes were bright, piercing, intimidating. The men from the village had long since fallen under my spell, their gazes blank and bodies drooping. The moment I reached the complex section of the song to sing alone, they turned and wandered away, back to the village. I continued on even after I lost sight of them; the spell would break if it wasn't finished. Once the last note faded away into the night I returned to the music room, but I no longer felt like continuing with the violin; perhaps the drain from using such a powerful spell had put me in a quiet mood.

"Sir? I - is everything all right?" A quiet voice squeaked from the doorway. The swelling waves of irritation that had been calmed once the men had left were back in full blast, crashing against the rocks of my conscience, grating on every nerve with their razor sharp pricks of agitation.

"Not now, Piko," I snarled. I wasn't in the mood for him and his timid, optimistic nature. If he broached _that_ subject again…

"Um, sir, was there a female among the group tonight?" Piko ventured shyly. I knew he meant no harm, he was merely curious, but because I was already irritated, I couldn't stop the harsh flow of words that flowed forth, edged with the biting growl that was gnawing at my throat.

"Piko, you speak one more word on that matter, and I pledge to personally rip your tongue right out of your mouth and send you to dip candles for my castle with it dangling on a string before you for all eternity!" I thundered. The candles blew out as one, and as the snow from the predicted blizzard began pummeling down and swirling madly outside with a ferocious howl, the room fell into semi darkness, sending evil shadows dancing on the walls that rose high above us both. I had partially turned my head to scowl at the servant, and I witnessed the trembling wisp of a white haired white skinned boy flee the open doorway, his light footsteps hurriedly making for the stairs to his room. Left alone with nothing but a violin and my own bad temper, I sent my tightly curled fist into the stone wall nearest my location with a sharp agonized cry, focusing on venting every last ounce of frustration in that single action. It... Didn't quite work as well as I had hoped. I lowered my head, my chin resting on my chest, leaving my fist pinned to the cracked stone without hardly a passing thought to the shimmering trails of dark red blood seeping down the wall and dripping to the floor.

Piko was a good worker, and as of the last century, one of the only friends I had left in the world. He was timid but kind, depressing but hopeful. He didn't deserve to be treated in the way that I was prone to treating him, always snapping and screaming and occasionally throwing what happened to be nearby at him even as he ducked for cover or hid his almost always trembling form behind anything sturdy enough to block my commonly mindless raging attacks. I let another wrenching cry loose from my already sore throat, striking the stone again and relishing the jolting pain that pleaded with me to stop the harsh assault. I didn't give in so easily to mortality's demands and began striking the stone over and over, very pointedly ignoring the agony and the red splatters that continually crept up the walls. I deserved the pain - it could only repay a fraction of what Piko must have endured these hundred years with only I and the guard to speak of. I drew back for what had to be upwards of my fiftieth punch when a disturbingly warm hand gently reached out and clasped onto my wrist, drawing my attention away from the massacre I was inflicting on the beaten wall and stopping my needless inflictions.

"Kaito, it's okay, just breathe," the deep and rich tones of Gakupo soothed. I hadn't quite realized how heavily I was breathing, how horridly my knuckles ached, or even the chilling tears that had been streaming down my face for so long that a puddle had formed at my feet.

"G - Gakupo," I yelped, scrubbing furiously at my eyes, trying to erase the evidence of my temporary weakness. It was too late to pretend, and I knew it. Gakupo had the cursed ability to sense whenever I needed help, even if I didn't want it. "Do as I do. In, hold, out, repeat." I did as he said, internally grumbling the entire time. Gakupo was infuriatingly resilient to my temper and mood swings and rather indifferent to my pessimistic hopelessness, simply because he was too good at understanding where my anxiety stemmed from and the best way to go about fixing it. I hated him for it, but I'd be lost without him, swallowed by blind rage and fear and forever at the bottom in a sinking black abyss of nothingness.

"I heard Piko return to his room in tears again," Gakupo commented, soothingly pulling me close and wrapping me in his warm arms. I grabbed him back. Gakupo was my closest friend. He was the only one allowed to witness me in such a miserable state, and as I registered the words he'd said, I felt more tears welling in my eyes. It was okay to cry a tiny while longer... right? "What happened this time?" He asked. I immediately buried my face into the folds of his plum colored kimono, bursting into fresh sobbing.

"I - I don't understand!" I cried. "W - why?! W - why am I such a m - monster?! No woman will ever fall in love with me, t - the curse will n - never be broken, and all I ever do is d - drive the only f - friends I have left away! W - what's left for me in this world, Gakupo?! I'm becoming even m - more of a m - monster each passing day, a - and soon there won't be anything l - left of me!" Gakupo raised one hand to press my head closer to himself, and over the sounds of my wailing, I heard his sigh loud and clear.

"Oh, Kaito, you shouldn't despair so - there's a woman out there just waiting to fall in love with you. Wait a while longer."

"But how long?" I whimpered pathetically, sinking to my knees and dragging my long haired friend with. "I've _been_ waiting for over a hundred years, how much longer?" His hold on me strengthened.

"Don't give it another thought," he reprimanded calmly. "If you can no longer leave this place out of fear of death, then as your loyal servant it is my duty to do what you cannot. I shall go and find a lady worthy of my master. Leave it to me, you will have your wife before the year of next has ended." I wasn't certain if he heard my last words to him before he leapt out the window and into the powdery snow below, but somehow I knew that he had heard me even if not with words.

"Thank you, Gakupo. I'm glad I have you - please, please help me, help our kingdom. You're our only hope."

\\(' - ' )/

"Brr! Man, that blizzard came out of nowhere the other night, huh?" Hatsune Miku commented to her friend as they worked to clear their neighboring front walks of three feet of new snow, having fallen after the disastrous five feet from the blizzard. Hanako Meiko swept her short auburn bangs aside, feeling a pang of pity for Miku who was constantly wringing out her ground sweeping pigtails and blowing her longer bangs out of her eyes. Both were fruitless endeavours, however, as the sea colored tails would drag along the snow the moment she let go and the wooly hat covering her ears also kept her bangs trapped to keep hanging in her eyes.

The girl was in desperate need of a haircut, but she refused, claiming that if having long hair kept her warm in a place that was almost always chilly at all times of the year, then she'd put up with the inconvenience. So Meiko merely shrugged and returned to her shoveling, ignoring the huffs of irritation as Miku concentrated more on keeping her long hair dry and out of the way than her work, getting nothing done but aggravating herself in the process. They had been stuck inside since the blizzard due to the mass of thick frozen flakes, up until some of the snow melted that very morning, but there was still a fair amount left because of the low temperatures, and thus Miku was doomed to either suffer her wet hair or put a little back in her work to be finished and return indoors for some hot cocoa.

Meiko had just finished her tedious chore (while Miku tugged helplessly at her hair still with several more feet to shovel) and was setting her tool down when their good friend from further down the road, Megurine Luka, came hurrying towards them, waving her arms frantically above her head. She appeared distressed, and so Meiko instantly dropped her shovel and ran towards her, calling out "what's wrong?" Luka paused to catch her breath, her silky sakura hued locks draping over her shoulders in a waterfall of hair.

"T - there's a man, out by the woods, he needs help!" Luka gasped out, pointing back the way she'd come. That _was_ serious...but the village doctors, Meiko's parents, were currently busy with another medical case... Meiko made a snap decision.

"Miku! Tell my mother and father that I've gone for a medical emergency!" She called to the other girl. She retrieved her family's first aid kit that hung above the inside of their front door and followed after Luka, leaving behind a confused Miku still standing in the mounds of snow. "What's wrong with him?" Meiko attempted sounding professional. She was still new to the medical field, preparing to take over the family business, but in truth she was scared. What if it was too serious for her to handle alone? What if she forgot what to do? What if she froze during the procedure and cost the man his life?

"I don't know, I only found him in the snow a few minutes ago when I was taking my morning walk and he was just lying there, a - and he was so cold!" Luka exclaimed, leaping through the piles of powdery fluff as elegantly as a gazelle while Meiko huffed and puffed and tramped behind her like a lumbering elephant. She was used to being skilled with her hands, not her feet, while the graceful blue eyed beauty was skilled all around. Meiko was infinitely relieved when Luka's flowing hair swept to a stop with her, and it was simple enough to discover the half buried purple streak at the start of a hiking trail. THE trail. As in the haunted, taboo, forbidden trail. Meiko cast a scathing look Luka's way, and those big blue eyes blinked in innocent confusion.

"Luka, whatever possessed you to take _this_ path? Everybody knows that it's dangerous!" Meiko scolded. Honestly, did she have to play big sister to _everyone_ in the village? It was off limits for a reason; the trees were rotted and ready to collapse, the animals were harmful, there were mysterious sinkholes, and some claimed it was such a deadly path because it was haunted by the ghosts of a small kingdom that had died out over two centuries ago. Meiko, however, didn't hold to such nonsense, but despite the ghost stories, the path was still unsafe, and Luka shouldn't have gone near it by herself to begin with. Meiko began running her hands over the man to find the problem while Luka crossed her arms and pouted.

"But if I hadn't, I wouldn't have found him!" Luka defended. "Besides, I was growing bored of all the other paths, I just wanted a change of scenery. That's all." Meiko swiftly discerned what the problem was - a textbook case of minor exhaustion and, consequently, slight frostbite.

"Luka, you're pretty strong, right? I need you to help me carry him back, he needs help!" Meiko insisted. Luka obligingly assisted her, grabbing the oddly dressed man in her arms, and slowly and steadily, they carried him back to the village.

\\(' - ' )/

AN: Just so you know, the extra century tagged on at the end was very intentional. There is a point to that. So ...yes, the book does seem to be some mix of fluff and a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but trust me, neither of those are where I'm heading with this tale. It was named after Kaito's popular Ashes to Ashes song, and it will become my own interpretation of how the story for the video played out. Again, I'm sorry if I've left you all hanging on my other stories, but I'm working on them, and figured that until I completed a new chapter, I'd round out my five story count. Yeah, yeah, you've heard that excuse before, but writer's block is a miserable thing. Anyway, thank you for reading, and I should have a new chapter for one of my others soon! I hope you enjoyed, please review if you did!


	2. Chapter 2: Utatane Piko

AN: Here's the second chapter! I went a bit long on this one, but the story is just flowing so smoothly I couldn't stop! The warning for this one will only involve mentions of blood and minor injuries, maybe a little wrestling, but I think that's all. For fans of Ghost in the Room, I should have the next chapter for that one out within the next few weeks. For those of you who only read a select one of my others... I can only promise a chapter before the year is out. Sorry! Anyway, this note is dragging on, so I'll let you get to the next part. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: All songs + Vocaloids belong to their respective owners. All I own is my interpretation of the song Ashes to Ashes.

\\(' - ' )/

Three days ago…

"Piko! Come here!" I shouted, purposely allowing my previous aggravation to seep into my voice. Gakupo had only just seconds ago disappeared from my sight at a sprint through the courtyard, leaving me alone with the only other soul in the house - little Piko, my once best friend in this dark world. I had to apologize to him, but if he thought I was still angry, perhaps he would be quick to appear and this whole episode could be done away with at a fast pace. Soon enough I heard the light and quick steps I had grown accustomed to, and that shivering pale face poked its quivering way around the door frame.

"Y - yes, sir?" He squeaked. His voice was often in a squeak. He was like a frightened rabbit, always squeaking meekly and on the tips of his toes, ready to take flight. I had hidden my dark dripping fists in my pockets, and I strode forward with an aggravated flair even though I was so, so scared of his unforgiving glare...

"Piko, you left my presence," I announced, the boy gulping and cringing away. It sent a pang to my heart that I couldn't identify at the thought that he was backing away so easily because he was absolutely terrified that I would do something horrible to him without Gakupo around. Of course he knew he was gone - his window faced the courtyard.

"I - I'm sorry, s - sir, i - it won't happen a - again," he mumbled, skittering further away behind the door as I took another step forward. This was not going well. I could feel the anger nipping at me, longing to be furious with this timid boy now under my control, but I forcefully pushed it back. All of this was all my fault, and I needn't take it out on my faithful servant so. The growing swells of hatred bit at my every nerve as instead I stalked heavily to the windows once more and stared unseeingly out at the courtyard.

"Piko - I'm sorry," I blurted. Better to get this done and over with before he took flight again. "My anger - it's becoming more unstable with each passing day, but that doesn't excuse my actions. I admit I was wrong." I leaned my forehead to rest on the stained glass, relishing in the coolness and drinking in the sight of the mixed colors eagerly. It was better than risking a glance at Piko as I spoke. "Gakupo always says that a good ruler treats his subjects with care and compassion, as without them a king has no country and then he is no king at all. He also says that he must treat his servants even better, because they are the ones who are most loyal to king and country, and will care for their ruler better than anyone in the kingdom. I'm no king, and I can hardly be called compassionate now, but…" I turned to look full on at his shocked face and dropped to the ground, slapping my palms to the space just before my knees and bending to touch my head between them.

Really, with how patient the boy had been with me all these years, he deserved so much more than this one act of humble submission. "Please - I beg your forgiveness, Piko. I'm no ruler, not any more, but I still failed you. Leader or not, nobody deserves to live in fear of someone as you do I. I'm sorry." Silence fell like a suffocating blanket once I had finished, and some remote corner of my soul that had forgotten what it was like to ask for forgiveness cracked and ached mercilessly. As the faint sound of the clock in the foyer continued ticking as the only sound for too many long, agonizing minutes, I slumped to the ground, hiding my traitorously crestfallen expression. Of course he wouldn't forgive me, not this time. I'd put him through too much emotional turmoil this past century and longer, and this last straw was one too many. Because of the design of the castle and the nature of the curse, it would be impossible for him to leave, but oh so easy to lock himself away in his room for all eternity.

If he so wished to do so, I would do nothing to stop him. What we had started as were friends. What we used to be were leader and servant. What we had become were master and slave. What we were right now …nothing but strangers, living in the same quarters, one caught in a desperate struggle with his ever flaring temper and the other scarred and lonely. It was his choice now. I couldn't even honestly lay claim to his loyalty anymore. I'd never in my life felt as helpless and frightened as I did right then. This curse - it was all because of me, because I was selfish. Well, no more. I didn't want him to leave, I didn't, he was the only friend I had left in this world besides Gakupo. When he said nothing, but I heard hurried footsteps, I knew without a doubt that he had chosen to leave. My body reacted to this by curling up tightly - I'd rather chase him down, beg him not to leave my side, but I didn't. How could I? I wasn't even worthy to be called his friend, let alone his authority. There was nothing left I could do. Not now. I was too late.

"S - sir?! Y - you're b - bleeding, a - are you all r - right?!" Slowly, I raised my head, only enough to look up and meet those large blue green eyes of his. Piko was kneeling before me, concern written on his features clearly, and was reaching for my hands with his trembling albino ones. When he brushed his fingers on mine, I bit my lip hard, drawing yet more blood. It hurt, it hurt so badly, but not nearly as much as the relief filling me and draining the dredges of my anxiety. Piko lifted my hand, and it took all my remaining energy to not scream in pain.

"P - Piko," I panted, trying not to move in the slightest. "Q - q - quit p - pulling…"

"I'm sorry, sir," Piko said, much more confidently but not much more happily. "You've completely shattered the knuckles and a few bones in both your hands - how did this happen?!" Despondently, I allowed my gaze to be drawn to the grotesque portrait on the wall I'd painted and cringed, still feeling the clinging uncertainty pulling at my heart.

"Um… sir? I - if I may… was that because of m - me?" Piko questioned quietly.

"Don't - don't worry about it," I grunted, hands shaking from the strain of keeping them stretched out. Finally, Piko returned them to my lap, and I cradled them close. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened; it never got better dealing with it. Though, I never stopped, either.

"Sir, I'll take care of your wounds right away," Piko told me, motioning for me to stay still. He hurried away to fetch the medical kit, returning with a skitter and slip on the polished granite. He bent down, carefully beginning to clean and bandage my hands starting at the wrists, peeking up nervously from time to time. The constant annoyance flared up, but I pressed it back. Piko knew well what the curse was doing to me, but he couldn't control himself any more than I could, and if he ran again, I knew something terrible might happen… and there'd be no returning from it. Those big puppy eyes slid upwards and then back again, and I breathed a small sigh.

"What is it, Piko?" I eventually asked. The boy yelped, nearly dropping the bandages.

"U - uh, well, sir, I - I didn't mean to upset you so, but… h - has the curse already taken such a toll on you? I - is that why Master G - Gakupo left in your place?" I glanced back at the colored window that Gakupo had carelessly left open, piles of white gathering on the floor as the wind raged just beyond its reach.

"No," I answered quietly. "The world is a big place. We just happened to be unfortunate enough to be confined to a place that despises what they do not understand rather than fear it. I wouldn't worry about him, though. He's a kind, quiet and thoughtful man. Nobody would try to hurt him."

\\(' - ' )/

Present day…

"Ow! Ow! Ow, would you please be so kind as to release me! Ow!" Meiko triumphantly brandished the sheathed sword she'd claimed from the strange man who called himself Gakupo, tightening her hold on him (specifically his Miku length violet locks) as they wrestled about the floor.

"No way! You were the one who suggested doing brief training to see if all your muscles were working properly, so I'm helping you out!"

"My brother, I have errored greatly!" Gakupo cried, trying to release himself from the impossibly tight hold pinning him uncomfortably to the wooden floor. "The world is too violent for me anymore! I have failed my training and you - I'd like very much to return home now!"

"Who are you talking to?" Meiko asked casually, content to munch a roll she'd snagged off the counter while she sat like a queen atop Gakupo's spine.

"My brother, are you deaf, woman?" Gakupo retaliated indignantly. Meiko looked around teasingly, shading her eyes from the weak light in the room.

"What? Where? Oh, him, hello! Why yes, your brother is a big pain, I'm glad we agree!" Gakupo attempted bucking her off as he recalled seeing a pony do one time, but the effort was wasted. Meiko sat firm, not budged in the slightest.

"You know nothing, mad doctor! My brother happens to be over sixty miles north, safely from your evil clutches!"

"Yeah?" Meiko mumbled around another roll. "Tell me, is this brother anything like you? All hotheaded and defensive?"

Buuurrrour!

Gakupo blushed fiercely, his struggles increasing to be freed. He managed to knock the short haired woman off his back and backed away towards the door, straightening his garments and most certainly not blushing or eyeing the plate of rolls stacked on the counter behind Meiko. He'd never felt so utterly embarrassed in his life!

"If you'd be so kind, I am on a time sensitive mission and would very much appreciate my sword back now," Gakupo stated, hoping that talking over that infuriating sound would make it go away. He held out an open palm expectantly. Meiko guiltily placed a warm roll there instead. Gakupo only stared at the food uncomprehendingly for a few moments before looking up at Meiko, who was now awkwardly offering the entire plate to him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely. "I didn't even think you might be hungry. I know you can't pay for your treatment, and I'd feel terrible for letting you wander off if you were just going to collapse and end up right back here." Gakupo was torn. He knew rations became tight during the winter season and it would be awful to take that from the one who had saved his life, but at the same time, he had not hunted in so long that he'd forgotten how and thus hadn't eaten since he'd left the castle.

"It's okay, just take them," Meiko encouraged. "It's a doctor's duty to make sure their patients are full recovered before they send them away." She sighed. "Besides, mother went into a baking frenzy the other day, and if we don't eat them soon they'll mold." Gakupo blinked stupidly at her.

"Would you not be able to store them in the snow or an icebox?" Meiko shook her head.

"Not really. Mother is very particular about putting bread out in snow - it's like a phobia of hers. And besides, the icebox is already full, I literally just told you that my mother baked a storm recently." She shoved the plate into his hands, frowning decisively. "Now, if you don't finish all that and the plate of carrots I'll start steaming, I can't in good conscience send you on your way." She grinned slyly. "All you have to do in return is tell me about yourself. Nobody in this area carries a grand old sword like this one just to look cool." Gears were spinning furiously in Gakupo's brain. This woman was violent, yes… but so currently was his master. Perhaps she could be the one to break the curse and free their people. It was worth a try, anyway.

"Tell me first - have you ever heard the true tale of the ancient kingdom that vanished over a century past?" Meiko plopped to the ground, leaning forward with an intense gleam in her coffee colored eyes.

"I've only heard the ghost stories and rumors - what really happened? Why did that whole kingdom disappear two hundred years ago?"

Good grief, has it already been that long?! Gakupo thought frantically. If that's the case, Kaito is in much more danger than I thought! Quickly composing himself, he cleared his throat and began.

"Two hundred years ago, there was a bright and happy kingdom, ruled by a gracious king and queen and their son, Kaito. The prince was kind and generous, but he was also very lonely. One day, as he was playing alone in the garden, he came across two mischievous fairies -"

"Hold on!" Meiko injected. "I thought you said this was a true story?" Gakupo wistfully stared at her. There had once been a time when he was as naive and ignorant as she. He only wished he could be that way again.

"Do you have proof that denies that the supernatural exist?" He asked almost laughingly. Meiko crossed her arms and scowled.

"Do you have proof that they do?" She shot back, challenging him to produce evidence first. "This whole dumb village goes on vampire hunts all the time, but nobody's ever even seen one! I don't think they actually exist!" Gakupo wasn't terribly fond of showing this to anyone, but perhaps she was the one they needed. He would gladly cut his all hair off and shatter his prized sword if it meant the safe return of their countrymen and Kaito himself. If this was what it took, he'd do it over and again as often as needed. He gripped the collar of his kimono, gazing deep into her eyes.

"You and your people are relatively famous for their vampire hunts, are they not?" He asked for clarification. There were almost no areas in the entire countryside that did not perform vampire hunts, and based upon the descriptions Kaito had often returned with after his nightly ventures, it appeared as though he were now in the hot spot of such hunting grounds; from the edge of town, it would only take a few hours on foot to make it to the hidden castle. The very thought made him shiver. Of course, Gakupo had meant to avoid this place completely, but getting turned around in a blizzard and eventually collapsing on their doorstep meant that he was there nonetheless, so he may as well make the best of it. Besides, what Meiko said cemented it; the hecklers that showed up on their lawn so frequently must be members of this very place.

"I guess so," Meiko replied, slumping and sighing. Gakupo tipped his head.

"Something the matter? If it was something I said, I promise I meant no harm by it." Meiko waved his concern away, glumly propping her chin in her hand.

"It's nothing, I'm just sick of hearing about vampires and death and rumors all the time. Every week it's vampire hunts and exorsisms - nobody talks about the weather or anything around here."

"I take it, then, that you neither believe in the supernatural nor the vampire your village seeks?" Gakupo asked repetitively, quite serious. Meiko gave a bored little chuckle.

"I'm surprised a grown man such as yourself does," she admitted. Gakupo tugged at the collar he still clutched, drawing it down to expose his neck.

"Then what if I told you - no, showed you, that such creatures as vampires exist?" He asked. Meiko could only blink at the double puncture wound sunk into his collarbone, deep and clean. And the perfect space apart to belong to a human's canines…

"What in the world -? What is this?" Meiko exclaimed, moving closer to examine the puncture marks. The longer she pressed and prodded and looked, the more and more she became convinced that they were, indeed, teeth marks… from a human. Nothing else she could think of could have made that sort of mark unless it wasn't alive, and these were definitely from a living being. Gakupo cleared his throat again, obviously uncomfortable, and replaced his shirt collar as Meiko sheepishly backed off.

"If you would let me finish my tale, with the mindset that the supernatural does exist as I hope to have proved at least a little, then I would tell you. Where was - oh! Yes, the fairies. These two fairies were known as Kagamines - the dark fairies of the daffodils. They were brightly colored and whimsical little things, a female Rin, and a male Len, as a cover for their true, deceptive selves. Kaito enjoyed playing with the creatures each afternoon, and he kept their presence a secret to enjoy their company all on his own. Many months passed as they grew closer and closer as friends, and one day, Rin told Kaito that she now had the power to grant him a single wish. Please bear in mind that the prince was a mere seven years of age at this point in time. Well, he thought, and thought, and one day he came up with an idea. I want to live forever, with my two best friends, so we can be always together! He told the fairie. Being a mischievous creature, Rin granted his request."

"But it came with a price," Meiko supplied, interested now in the story. Gakupo let out a heavy breath and gazed sadly at the floor.

"Yes, and quite a hefty one at that. Rin told him that on his eighteenth birthday, he would cease aging, along with his two friends he had named. Time would be frozen for them all, and if Kaito ever told somebody about the fairies, they would hide the kingdom from him. Years went by, and soon enough, he began realizing the error of his wish, and once the true horror of what he had done settled in, he came to me for help. He spilled the whole story, telling me about the fairies and his wish, and just like that, the kingdom was gone. All that were left were he, I and Piko. Kaito hunted down the fairies and demanded to withdraw his wish, as he had not yet turned eighteen years. Rin and Len grew angry at this, reminding him that they were friends and he had promised them that they could grant the wish himself. But Kaito didn't want to live forever anymore. He wanted to marry, grow old, and die, and be with the ones he loved until the end. Enraged by his demands, Rin granted his wish one year too early, and Len… well, Len cursed him, to become a monster of the night, and that he shall be immortal, but only keep his sanity one hundred and fifty years, before he would be consumed by rage and become the beast Len had cursed him to be."

Gakupo idly drew imaginary drawings on the floor with the tip of his sheathed blade, recalling the details of that day so clearly after all these years.

"The last we ever heard from them were these words: if you truly wish for your life to resume it's normal, dull course, all you must do is retrieve true love's kiss before your one hundred fifty years pass you by. Then, the curse will break, and those you've lost will be returned. But don't let your hopes rise too high - who would ever truly love a creature like you? And they disappeared. We've not seen hide nor hair of them since then. If it's been over two centuries now as you say, then really, we have no hope, as they said. But Kaito still retains his sanity fifty years after his supposed demise, so I have to believe that there's still a way to break the curse. But his time runs short - the anger of the curse is still eating away at him, and if we do not find this cure then he will become the dreaded villain your town fears him as."

Meiko was almost afraid to ask at this point, but she mustered the courage and blurted "so how did those puncture marks get there?" She was going into medicine; it wasn't her fault, then, that it was those marks that had captured her attention so avidly. She was simply curious for the medical aspect, nothing more. At least, that was the mantra running through her head. Gakupo subconsciously rubbed at the tender spot, thinking back on that terrifying night.

"…Kaito… he struggles between the light and dark, good and wrong, and has ever since the curse took hold. But he was dying - without drinking blood, as a vampire, he would simply waste away and crumble like a leaf in a fire. He stayed strong for so long, but then he became weak and ill. I begged him to drink my blood - at least enough to stay alive. He wouldn't hear of it and was downright horrified that such thoughts could enter his mind. But, one night…he couldn't take any more. He was practically starved, and to save him from an untimely fate, his unnatural instincts took over his mind and he attacked me without warning, drinking so much that I was convinced that he planned to take my life in place of his. But he stopped before that happened, thankfully, and prevents future repeats by coming to me for a little bit once in a while. It's all he can do - if it were a normal human with normal limitations, they would have been lost the second he grabbed hold. I suppose I should be thankful for my long lasting life, since it keeps him alive, but I just can't. Every time I feel those sharp teeth it reminds me of his childish fantasy, bought at the price of his own sanity."

Meiko was silent for a few moments, collecting her thoughts. If the story was indeed true, as she thought it to be, since Meiko was quite trusting and could currently think of nothing to discredit its reality, then all they needed was…

"Some sweet, caring, compassionate, strong young woman to fall in love with the prince and break the curse with true love's kiss," Gakupo sighed. Turning his oval eyes to her, Meiko felt a thrill of adventure and the prospect of love and excitement pull at her - could Gakupo possibly think she was the underappreciated beauty of her time that would be able to break the centuries old curse and become a hero, the living legend of the land?

"Meiko," Gakupo began. Meiko leaned closer expectantly.

"Yes?" She barely breathed, suddenly deciding in that instant that the medical profession wasn't for her - being a princess was. Surely there was no one else... she would make a wonderful ruler, she was positive of it!

"Meiko," he repeated, "would you…"

"Yes?"

"Would you happen to know someone kind and compassionate like that?"

There was a brief pause.

"You'd better start running, swordsman."

\\(' - ')/

AN: And there you have it! I figured that since the story began so heavily, it needed a little lighthearted pick up, and thus Meiko's and Gakupo's personalities clashed and their hatred for each other was born. Also, please leave a review if you caught the reference in the chapter! I won't tell you what it is - see if you can find it before the next chapter! Also, a funny thing about this story - I kept rereading it, and it really struck me how similar this was to Beauty and the Beast, which was what I was aiming to not do. So, just as a reminder, this story will not be a retelling - in fact, it will stick much more closely to the Ashes to Ashes music video in the chapters following. I loved that song - it was one of the first Kaito songs I'd ever heard, and so it's become a favorite of mine. So be prepared for the coming vampire craziness! I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3: Return to the Castle

AN: Hello again, Closet Lethargy here! I hope for those of you waiting for the new chapter that you weren't TOO terribly impatient. Without further ado, please have the next chapter! I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do I even need to say that I can't possibly have created Vocaloids or Ashes to Ashes the song?

\\( ' - ' )/

Meiko was very much unimpressed with the self-proclaimed samurai standing before her, a wash of purple marking the entrance to the haunted trail.

"You're joking." It was a rock solid statement. "There is no possible way that you ran all the way here, through a blizzard, for three days straight."

"I… _did_ remember to inform you that I am not a normal mortal anymore, yes?" It was a blatantly rhetorical question. Meiko huffed, tucking her mittened hands deep in the folds of her red coat pockets to keep them warmer. "So _that's_ why you were found so cold and exhausted," she grumbled. "But don't you have, I don't know, a couple of horses or something? If you think I'm walking for _three whole days_ and _nights_ -"

"Don't be ridiculous, my lady, the castle resides only a few hours' walk from this very spot!" Gakupo snorted, offended that she would assume he'd force the girl he chose for his prince to travel such a long distance all at once, and on foot, too! "Don't be so vulgar! I'm no barbarian, despite what you seem to believe, and I would never force a lady to endure such extremities, even one as violent as yourself! Ladies are to be treated gently and sweetly, and while I may dislike you, I still hold by my beliefs on this matter!" Meiko snarled back, softened by his genuine speech. She felt she could melt into the snow like hot butter - nobody in her life had ever been so considerate towards her before. Even if they were a complete jerk.

"And you, sir, how dare you insult a woman of my profession? If I so chose, I would walk twice that distance! Don't presume that I'm a tender withering flower that needs special loving care in order to stay strong and beautiful!" (Even if she _did_ enjoy the thought of being doted on and loved like a flower that required much tender care…) Gakupo bowed, bangs sweeping low to cover his eyes.

"I presume nothing. After you, my lady." Meiko stomped off in a huff, trudging through the deep snow that no one had been brave enough to clear away. After several long and uninteresting minutes into their relatively short journey, Meiko decided to start a conversation with the self-proclaimed samurai. She wasn't a withering flower, she wasn't, but it felt… nice. Nice to hear that she was admired, even if shallowly. Although… it was making her slightly uncomfortable that Gakupo remained so quiet behind her.

"Say, Gakupo, what's this Kaito like?" She asked, pressing a finger to her chin as she thought. "Will he try to drink my blood? Or kill me in my sleep? Because if that's the case you'd better find a different woman. I get frightened easily. I probably should've mentioned that earlier, did you know I'm terrified of spiders? This castle better be clean. What do you do for food? I should probably warn you that I'm allergic to eggs. Is that weird? Will Kaito think it's weird? Hey, if this prince is a vampire, does that mean there aren't any mirrors? Because I could really use one to do my hair in the morning. Should I have packed more stuff, or will there be clothes and things already there I can use? Maybe I should've actually said good bye to my parents instead of leaving that note on my pillow that says I left for an indefinite study vacation…" Gakupo listened absentmindedly to Meiko's ramblings, amazed by her unfazed attitude. In the last two hours, she had calmly accepted the fact that he was basically kidnapping her to become the personal doctor to a vampire, the very one her entire village wanted dead, that she had absolutely no knowledge of besides rumors to go on.

He may not like her, but she was remarkable. She just had to be the one to break the curse. Of course, she didn't exactly know that she was supposed to fall in love with Kaito - some quick thinking on Gakupo's part had convinced her that the prince was in need of a personal doctor until they found the true maiden. She had grudgingly agreed, regardless of having her brief dream shattered and her pride wounded. But something dark nagged at him - there was something not right about all this. He was certain she was the one he needed. But… Meiko's swift acceptance, and finding her so quickly - it was too easy. It should've been harder than this, especially after all those long nightly strolls that Kaito had taken in the hopes of discovering his bride. He never had. With the village so close, it would've been impossible not to find _someone_ after all that time.

Why had Gakupo come across the perfect woman in a mere three days (granted, he was only conscious enough to meet her for a few hours) when Kaito had spent more than his fair share of hopeless years searching every single night without fail, not even having caught a glimpse of a female in that duration of time? It didn't add up. Could this be part of the curse, that Kaito couldn't even be allowed to choose who he fell in love with? He resolved himself to pay close attention to every detail of everything he came across in the future. There was a gnawing feeling growing in him that whispered _**danger!**_ He wished he knew what the danger was - as of right now, they were all headed to Kaito's world; the darkness.

\\( ' - ' )/

He was pacing again. Piko watched, carefully hidden behind the sliver of the door to the music room that was cracked open, as Kaito paced up and down and up and down. It was making Piko dizzy simply watching him, and he'd been at it for hours. Normally, Kaito would waste the day away with napping and playing various instruments about the room, perhaps sing a song or two, and head out for a night of walks and exploration, but ever since the incident three days back, he'd done nothing but pace, all day, all night, only breaking to swallow a few meager bites of food, at Piko's silent insistence, and return to his pacing. His eyes were ringed and looked heavy to prop open, and Piko was steadily growing more concerned for his health by the hour, but he dared not say a word; when he had tried, towards sunset on the first day, Kaito had waved his concerns away with a clipped, dull tone, but when he'd pressed, Kaito had grown enraged, thrown into a fit worse than Piko had ever witnessed before.

With a bandage covering the scar now etched cleanly on his forehead, the albino teen wisely kept his distance, not uttering a sound and keeping well out of sight, like an invisible church mouse. The shattered vase of flowers with the blood tipped shards had been hurriedly cleaned on a rare instance when Kaito had stepped out to use the facilities, the porcelain dumped in the trash and the dying flowers tossed to the empty garden. The castle was tense and quiet, and ever since the vase had vanished from sight, the prince had said nothing. Not a cough, not a sigh. He was utterly silent, and Piko was more worried about this newfound silence than his recent temper flares, and kept a close eye on him at all times, fearing he might self-destruct the moment Piko should turn away. It was while he was keeping vigil, just as tired and hungry as Kaito and unknowingly nodding off at his post, that he saw the prince angle towards the window, heavily draped but opened enough to see out onto the front lawn, and approached it curiously. Whatever he saw, Piko didn't expect him to give a full-blown bodily jerk, whirl and dart for the door, unintentionally knocking the pale boy to the ground in his haste to clumsily stumble down the stairs and fling open the front door, shying away from the direct yet fading sunlight.

Piko hurried after him, sliding down the banister sideways so he didn't risk tripping down the stairs in his tired state, and gaped at the open door. There, on the doorstep, proudly stood Gakupo, and beside him stood the first female they had laid eyes on since the day the curse was cast. With her red overcoat and matching mittens, wind-blown short chestnut hair and cheeks and nose flushed from the cold, she was definitely the most gorgeous sight in all the grand castle. Clinging to the door frame for dear life, eyes matching those of a raccoon and mouth agape with fangs glinting in the light of the setting sun, Kaito was definitely the _scariest_ sight Meiko had ever witnessed. She let out a little scream and ducked behind Gakupo, the friendliest defense she had between her and the - **thing** hiding in the shadows. Surely it must be Kaito, but he'd rushed at her so quickly; it was as if he smelled her coming and wanted to eat her as a treat!

"No need for fear," Gakupo sighed for what had to be the _twenty first time_ that day. "Let me introduce you - majesty, this is Sakine Meiko, a doctor from a nearby village. She has agreed to tend to us until we discover your bride to be. Miss Meiko, this is Prince Kaito, ruler of this estate, and the ghostly little form behind him is our chef, maintenance and garden keeper, Utatane Piko. And now that we've passed around our names, Meiko could probably do with coming in out of the snow and enjoying a nice hot cup of tea." He narrowed his eyes, glancing between Kaito, who had yet to bat an eye nor close his mouth, with his wrinkled, blood splattered coat still on from three days past, and Piko, head bandaged and very obviously sleepy, guiltily shifting from foot to foot. "And perhaps while she relaxes and settles in, you two can tell me what happened while I was away." Piko jolted and scurried off to make the tea, while Kaito weakly collapsed to the ground like a child, staring up at Meiko in wide eyed wonder.

"G - Gakupo, does she - can she really do it?" Kaito whispered, eyes bright and for the first time in so many years, hopeful. Meiko softly giggled - she couldn't help herself. With him sitting on the ground, legs splayed out before him, hands pressed to the ground between them, staring up at her with those big eyes and mouth open, he really did resemble an overgrown child. He didn't appear scary now - just surprised. Taking a closer look dissolved the oddly cute sight, however. His hands were heavily bandaged up to his fingers; what could have caused that? It looked recent. He appeared dead tired (no pun intended) and… was it just her, or did he seem just a tad malnourished? Of course, Meiko knew nothing of vampires - perhaps this was normal. But, human or not, it still didn't look quite right.

"Yes, yes, I pray I will be of service to his majesty," Meiko rattled off mechanically, kneeling to take a closer look at the thick bindings around his knuckles. "What happened to have done such damage? Come inside, I want to take a closer look!" Sputtering helplessly, Kaito was unceremoniously dragged inside, and Gakupo followed after, eager to hear the specifics of why Piko had bandages on his head suggesting an injury and why they both appeared beaten down and tense. He pinched the bridge of his nose with forefinger and thumb, letting himself inside and locking the door behind him. Honestly, he leaves the castle for _three days…_

\\( ' - ' )/

I felt positively heartbroken, to put it mildly. Meiko, too, looked upset to some lesser extent, while Piko lay curled up by the fireplace, watching the fire crackle and pop and snap with a gloomy air that radiated disappointment far heavier than usual.

"Are you correct about that, Gakupo?" I inquired softly. "Has our time really been up… for over ninety years?" Gakupo, fiddling absently with his sword removed from its sheath as he talked, lowered his eyebrows as he thought.

"Maybe our time has not yet expired," he murmured. I rebelliously tossed my arms skyward and let them crash heavily to my lap once more to imitate a gesture of frustration. He was so crazed _confusing_! Could the man speak _nothing_ in a clear manner?!

"How, Gakupo?! How can you _still_ hold out hope?!" I heard my own voice cracking with the pressure of tears I wasn't ready to release. "It was my mistake that led to this. I bear the responsibility; there's nothing left for us to do but to wait until our final demise. Rin and Len were very clear - I had exactly one hundred and fifty years to find my true love to break the curse, no more, no less, and once that time was up, there would be no going back." I lowered my head onto the couch arm, burying it in the folds of my sapphire colored sleeves. "So that's it then - I've failed. We'll continue in this manner until we are ultimately destroyed by man. Any moment now, we'll turn on one another, and become the monsters the fairies saw in our hearts."

"Now hold on one moment here," Gakupo interrupted. "I haven't explained my theory yet! Listen to me, Kaito, not all hope is lost. You're living proof of such a miracle! Look at yourself - you grapple with your conscience, but that's just _it_ , the anger you feel has not consumed you yet! I know you struggle, but don't give up on us yet! Your sanity has not deserted you yet, has it? Perhaps the fairies truly did care for you and extended the time you have left." Gakupo quietly frowned. I didn't like when he frowned so - it usually meant he was upset. Typically so with me. "But now we don't have a deadline to meet - we must be swift to break this curse before you're lost for good." I shook my head - already unkind words were resting on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't allow their passage.

"But we don't _know_ that," I reiterated rather impatiently in their stead. Gakupo crossed over and rested his hand on my arm, giving me a bright smile. It would forever remain a mystery to me how he was able to smile in such circumstances.

"Then forget the curse for now. Just put your trust in me as you once did. Will you do this?" I shuddered. The last time I had verbally told him that I had trust in him was that fateful night we became immortal; I didn't want to relive that awful night again. But if the ever faithful Gakupo so wished…

"I - I t - trust you, G - Gakupo," I managed to stutter out. He moved his hand to my hair and grinned that silly crooked grin of his.

"Very good. Now, on to a new subject, would either of you be kind enough to explain just what happened after I departed those three days ago? I do not wish to pry into private affairs, your highness, but as Piko is my charge as well, it is my duty to know why he is sporting a bandage I know nothing of." He reclaimed his seat as an almost tangible despair crept on me like wild vines of ivy, circling, tugging, suffocating -

"I - it was nothing," Piko started. I couldn't let him speak, he would try to make his injury seem like an accident. I couldn't let him pretend that nothing happened, that I was still in the right and clear, that there wasn't an angry beast inside me anxiously awaiting to hurt those I loved.

"No, it wasn't" I interrupted bitingly, refusing to watch Piko surely widening his eyes and then turning away to the fire once more. His habits, as were Gakupo's, were so familiar to me I knew them all by heart. I never wanted to hurt him; asking for forgiveness when I did almost made it seem as though he wasn't frightened of my every move, that we were once again innocent children playing and wrestling all about the castle even while the adults scolded and disapproved. How I dearly longed for things to have never changed between us… "Piko, he… well… I… I wasn't looking after myself, and Piko was trying to help me… I… I lost my temper with him. I threw that old flower vase at him, the one with the yellow stripes? He… he didn't dodge fast enough… I - I'm so sorry, Piko -"

"P-please, it's okay, sir," Piko told me in that light stuttering tone. Oh, how that tone utterly **infuriated** me sometimes!

"But you shouldn't _have_ to be! You shouldn't be okay with **any** of this, Piko, don't you care? I hurt you and cursed you and doomed you to live with a monster until the day a human instrument of death is turned upon you! I know you care, Piko, I know you care so much it hurts, so please don't lie to me and say this **_doesn't bother you_**!" I couldn't bear to watch them anymore, the silent Meiko covering her mouth with both delicate hands in horror, Gakupo watching me with that strange, pitying look, and little Piko trembling like a leaf in the wind, ready to be blown away at any moment. I made a hasty retreat to my sanctuary, the music room, and paced several more laps around its grand interior. Pacing scrambled my mind from repetition; the activity helped me forget, just for a little while. Once I'd had my fill of the monotony, I wandered to the windows; I couldn't hold an instrument until the bones in my hands finished healing, almost a month forthcoming. All I had left was my voice. I wasn't terribly in the mood to sing, though. Singing brought me a small amount of happiness and peace, and I just couldn't find it in myself to want to be cheered up just yet.

There was too much weighing upon my heart and mind to even find the time to relax. What Gakupo had told me surely couldn't be true. How could over two hundred years have passed? The Kagamines had been very clear. One hundred and fifty years was all I had. Either someone was mistaken about how long we had, or I was correct, and I had failed. But then… why should my sanity remain within me and my anger kept in check, had my time truly expired unawares? Perhaps Gakupo was right after all… perhaps the Kagamines had truly cared for me after all. That could be all that would prevent the fairies from returning for their final revenge. They lived by a law that was absolute - should they bestow a gift, the gift lasted forever, if a curse was enacted, that curse was followed to the letter even if it took all of time. It was the way of their kind; they were unwavering in everything they did. If only I hadn't doomed us all… everyone, my family, Piko's family -

" _ **Excuse**_ me!" Snapped a rude voice from the doorway. I whirled, finding Meiko standing firm with skinny arms crossed tight. Hadn't I barred that door? From the _inside_? "Look, I can understand if you want to be alone, but if you recall, highness, _I'm_ supposed to be your doctor. Technically, with the way you are now, I need to be by your side. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week." She grinned, like the castle cat that ate our canary. "You'll find that I take my job _very_ seriously." I felt my head tilt in bewilderment. Where in this wide world had Gakupo found this crazy woman?

\\( ' - ' )/

AN: And there you have it, chapter three! To those of you who left reviews, THANK YOU SO MUCH! It makes me happy to hear from my readers, and I appreciate your kind comments, and any criticism you may have, so please, if you see anything I missed, please let me know so I can fix it, and please leave a review if you enjoyed! (The next chapter hopefully shouldn't be as long coming as this, so keep your eyes open!) \\( ' - ' )/


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